NJ's Salty Water, Its Not Just By The Shore

First off, I have to say the Shore rocks. I was at Sandy Hook a couple weeks back and I had a great time. Good sun and a fantastic view of the city, the waves weren't so hot, but that was okay. Now what doesn't "rock" is the drinking water quality closer to New York in Bergen and Hudson counties. It was found that they have much higher levels of salt than normal, not so good for people with high blood pressure. Why would you want that extra mineral in your water?

From ABC-7:

United Water company has been sending notices out to its customers in Bergen and Hudson counties warning that the sodium level in the water supply is higher than it should be.

The company blames the winter task of salting the roads to keep them clear of ice.

The salt and snow melt from the roads spilled into reservoirs, taking the concentration of sodium higher than state guidelines -- and the water processing can't flush it out.

But the company is required to put out the warning for people with high blood pressure or other high sodium sensitive health concerns. It advises them to talk to their doctors.

The problem isn't too bad and nothing really to worry about. On the other hand, if you are lacking sodium in your diet, head over to New Jersey for a few gallons of fresh, New Jersey snow melt.

MetroCard Mike? Yeah, Right

Michael Bloomberg likes to pride himself on taking the subway to New York, pretending to be the average billionaire New York straphanger. But is it really true? This is definitely not an average commute to most that ride the rails.

From The New York Times:

On mornings that he takes the subway from home, Mr. Bloomberg is picked up at his Upper East Side town house by a pair of king-size Chevrolet Suburbans. The mayor is driven 22 blocks to the subway station at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue, where he can board an express train to City Hall. His drivers zip past his neighborhood station, a local subway stop a five-minute walk away.

That means Mr. Bloomberg — whose much-discussed subway rides have become an indelible component of his public image — spends a quarter of his ostensibly subterranean commute in an S.U.V.

“I never see him,” said Namela Hossou, who sells newspapers every morning at the downtown entrance to the mayor’s nearest stop, at 77th Street, four blocks from the mayor’s house. “Never, never.”

He campaigned on being an average guy in the city. But Mike Bloomberg is no average New Yorker. The media mogul turned Mayor makes a mockery of the subway system and those that ride and wait to make transfers, sometimes two or three on the way to work. Bloomberg takes the express to City Hall. Riding the subway as a commuter is not about being on an express for three stop, that's a joke. And when he tells people to stop complaining that the subway cars are too crowded??? Mr. Mayor, try getting on the 6 train at 28th Street at rushhour, it'll teach you the definition of "cattle car."

The Top Ten YouTube Debate Questions

PoliticsTV puts together the top ten questions posed to the Democratic candidates:

The Politics Of Weather

In a world based on common sense, climate change would not be a political issue. It is a moral issue and one humanity must deal with before it is too late to save us from the powerful wrath of a transformed Mother Nature. Of course, we live in a world filled with people that disagree with the facts of climate change (i.e. Republicans) and we must suffer as a result.

The wrath of these Earth-haters could be seen when the Weather Channel took a step in the right direction to show what the scientific community concludes about weather. So they hired Dr. Heidi Cullen to do a weekly half-hour show on climate science. When word got out that she was going from academia to being in front of a television audience (as well as a web-based one) things turned ugly.

From The New York Times:

Last December, I wrote a blog about how reticent some broadcast meteorologists are about reporting on climate change. Meteorologists — they are the forecasters — have training in atmospheric science. Many are certified by the American Meteorological Society. I suggested there’s a disconnect when they use their A.M.S. seal for on-camera credibility and refuse to give viewers accurate information on climate. The society has a very clear statement saying that global warming is largely due to the burning of fossil fuels.

The next thing I knew, I was being denounced on the Web sites of Senator James Inhofe, Matt Drudge and Rush Limbaugh. The Weather Channel’s own Web site got about 4,000 e-mails in one day, mostly angry. Some went, ‘Listen here, weather girl, just give me my five-day forecast and shut up.’

Q: Rush Limbaugh accused you of Stalinism. Did you suggest that meteorologists who doubt global warming should be fired?

A: I didn’t exactly say that. I was talking about the American Meteorological Society’s seal of approval. I was saying the A.M.S. should test applicants on climate change as part of their certification process. They test on other aspects of weather science.

A lot of viewers want to know about climate change. They are experiencing events they perceive as unusual and they want to know if there’s a connection to global warming. Certainly when Katrina hit, they wanted to know if it was global warming or not. Most Americans get their daily dose of science through their televised weather report. Given that fact, I think it’s the responsibility of broadcast meteorologists to provide viewers with scientific answers.

Viewers who tune in to the weather channel only get the daily temperature and precipitation forecast. People don't get the full picture. People like Heidi Cullen will help make a difference.

No Butts For The Bidet

Several anonymous models will have their bare ends covered in a controversial bidet ad in Times Square. The Times Square Church made a big stink (they should use the bidet) about all of the bottoms that were going to be debuted for the ad. They took the case to court, where a judge issued an injunction from the banner going up.

From The Gothamist:

God, 1, cheeky advertising, 0, as bottoms will be covered up in bathroom fixture company Toto's controversial Times Square billboard. Originally, bare butts covered only by smiley faces (part of Toto's "Clean is Happy campaign") would have been wrapped around building's corner, but then one of the building's tenants, the Times Square Church, complained.

The church claimed the ad "certainly unsuited for public exposure to children, and antithetical to the values of our congregation and church." A judge blocked the ad from going up while she reviewed the case's "novel and significant issues," but the public will miss out on a debate about commerce, public decency, church, and personal hygiene with Toto's decision to rework the ads.

According to the Post, Toto released a statement saying that a white bar will go "across the bottoms, 'in effect 'clothing' them by removing any hint of their anatomical features,'" leaving the ad to read, "This is our bottom line... Clean is happy. No ifs, ands, or ..." But the full-butt-monty billboards will be seen in LA, where underwearless starlets have inevitably prepped the market.

If L.A. can see the exposed-ition, so can we. The church completely went overboard in their complaint and so did the judge for placating them. It was a shame to see Toto back down and cover the butts with a redesign. All of those cheeks are God's creation anyways, right?

The Worse, Worser and Worst

All three of these people are sleazebags and it is hard to decide which should be the worse, worser or worst...but they all deserve to be in the top three.

With Spitzer...Where Do We Go From Here?

Governor Spitzer finally apologized this morning for his staff's ridiculous behavior concerning Joe Bruno and his helicopter trips. What they did was unethical and wrong, and Spitzer admits it. Only he starts by saying he was sorry and then finished by spinning. So now what? Spitzer went from his apology to denying the chance for Attorney General Cuomo from investigating his office. He also claims that we must not get bogged down in partisan politics. Ahem, Eliot, look in the mirror.

From The Daily News:

ALBANY - Gov. Spitzer shot down a Republican proposal to make Attorney General Andrew Cuomo a special prosecutor to reinvestigate the dirty tricks scheme waged against Senate GOP leader Joe Bruno.

Senate Investigations Committee Chairman George Winner (R-Elmira) had said such a move would give Cuomo the power to subpoena evidence and question Spitzer aides who ducked his first inquiry. Republican senators would shelve their own planned investigation to make way for Cuomo, who is a Democrat like Spitzer, he said.

About 10 minutes after Winner's news conference, Spitzer's office said no.

"The appointment of a special prosecutor is unnecessary" because his first probe and an inquiry by the governor's inspector general found no criminal conduct, spokeswoman Christine Anderson said.

It seems that this is just unethical and not criminal, if anyone is a criminal, it is Joe Bruno. Still, Spitzer should let this take its course and let the Senate Republicans give Cuomo the go-ahead to investigate so this can finally start to blow over. Having his own Inspector General clear him is nice, but having the top Attorney in New York do it is even better.

I do agree with part of Spitzer's Op-Ed however. This isn't what we should have been engaged in by electing our new Governor. We need to clean up Albany. The problems lie with how the state government has worked for decades, by three men in a room and New Yorkers sitting outside in the dark. Now we need to add a little dusting to the Governor's office and be on with the business of New York.

Home Depot Drops The Falafel Factor

Ah, the sweet smell of justice! Bill O'Reilly lives in a land of delusion surrounded by his repugnant ego. Well Bill, you are supported by your advertisers....and one of the biggest just dropped your thick head on the pavement. Home Depot agreed they do not want their ads on a television show that is full of hate, lies and your ugly mug.

From AmericaBlog:

Home Depot seems to have had a change of heart. They're now unequivocally telling their customers that they will not advertise on Bill O'Reilly's show. Oddly, however, they're now also claiming that they never advertised on O'Reilly's show.

From: Jarvis, Ron @homedepot.com]
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2007 3:00 PM
To: JH
Subject: RE: PULL SUPPORT FOR OREILLY

Thank you for your email , we will not and have not advertised on the Bill O’Reilly show.

And here's another:

From: Defeo, @homedepot.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 8:07 AM
To: JH
Subject: FW: PULL SUPPORT FOR OREILLY

Good morning,
Thank you very much for your message. The Home Depot has a policy that prohibits the running of its advertising on programs that express strong opinions or political views. Please note that this includes Bill O’Reilly’s program.
Thank you,
Ron

Though to complete the story, Home Depot is doing a little bit of maneuvering themselves. They claim to have never advertised on Bill O's show, even though...they have. Whoops. Why do companies that do good have to ruin it by spinning the story? Oh well, they are corporations, and definitely far from perfect.

"War Made Easy"

Here's the trailer, see the whole thing. Learn how America has taken itself to war over the last few decades.

MTA Goes Dirty To Raise Fares

The battle over fare increases for New York City's MTA was turned up a few notches with veiled threats coming from the Transit Administration. "Fearful" of budget gaps despite having a billion dollar surplus this year, they are threatening to cut a program that brings first aid to commuters in need.

From The Daily News:

For nearly a decade, medical professionals - first nurses and then emergency medical technicians - have been posted at some of the busiest stations to help ill travelers, remove them from trains as quickly as possible and clear traffic jams on the rails. EMTs now work at seven stations.

But the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which projects huge budget gaps, says it can save nearly $250,000 a year by killing off the "Sick Customer Response Program" in 2009.

Sick customers are responsible for approximately 430 train delays a month, the third-highest monthly average.

NYC Transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges said it's "premature" to discuss the proposal, part of the MTA's 2008-2011 budget plan.

It may be premature for them to discuss it, but bringing it up is a slap in the face to anyone and everyone that rides the MTA. Saving a quarter million a year when we are talking in the billions of dollars is nothing but malicious on the part of Elliot Sander and the MTA. If the MTA thinks this is going to win them converts for a fare increase, they have another thing coming.

FBI Raids Sen. Stevens Home, Not Looking So Good For Him

The good ole' boy Senator Stevens from Alaska is in a lot of hot water. Alaska has been trying to clean up the corruption that exists in their state, along with the help of the FBI and the IRS. Politicians have been in bed with people they have no business being with, while ignoring their constituents and the law. Well things are going to catch up with Ted Stevens soon, especially since the authorities raided his home yesterday.

From The Huffington Post:

Stevens, 83, has been under a federal investigation for a 2000 renovation project more than doubling the size of his home in Girdwood that was overseen by Bill Allen, a contractor who has pleaded guilty to bribing Alaska state legislators.

Allen is founder of VECO Corp., an Alaska-based oil field services and engineering company that has reaped tens of millions of dollars in federal contracts.

Agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service started their search at the senator's home Monday afternoon, said Dave Heller, FBI assistant special agent. He said he could not comment on the nature of the investigation.

Stevens isn't commenting either. He wouldn't want to jeopardize himself further, especially if and when the Feds press charges against him and he has to face a judge and jury. Of course he isn't the only one, his son is under investigation and so is Congressman Don Young (R-Of course) for their crooked ways. It isn't right that they use their office for personal gain. The people trust them to serve their constituencies.....not themselves and their friends in the oil industry.

War Apologists March On

The problem with people like O'Hanlon is that they just refuse to look at the whole picture. We'll never find a solution if we only look at slightly favorable pieces of enormous, convoulted pie that is Iraq.